It is well known among hunters that the success of the hunt depends, in the broadest context, upon a successful chance encounter of the hunter with the game being hunted. Accordingly, hunters have applied great ingenuity to the task of maximizing the likelihood of such chance encounters.
One approach to hunting which is practiced with a great degree of skill by many hunters is tracking of hunted game. Tracking, however, is not without its difficulties and shortcomings. For example, as tracking necessarily involves movement by the hunter, potentially over a fairly large area, tracking may be rather tiring, especially in rough terrain or severe weather conditions. Additionally, while tracking an animal, a hunter will potentially be within the line of vision and scent range of any animal which he might sight at a near enough distance to get off a safe and sure shot at the game. The equipment load which a hunter must carry also adds to the difficulties of game tracking.
An alternative approach to hunting which is especially popular with bow hunters is to sit or "perch" in a tree and quietly await the chance passing of game. Perching offers several advantages over tracking, including elimination or abatement of all the above-mentioned shortcomings.
Despite its advantages, perching has not been without its shortcomings. For example, the tree that is chosen by any given hunter as the most desirable observation point may not be a tree that is well suited to easy climbing. Additionally, the somewhat bulky and heavy hunting clothes as well as the considerable hunting gear which the hunter carries will tend to increase the difficulty of climbing even an otherwise easy-to-climb tree. Accordingly, there have been efforts in the prior art to provide ladder devices for use by hunters to conveniently effect the desired tree climbing without adding undue burdens of additional equipment to the considerable equipment which the hunter must carry in any case.
For example, U.S. Patent 3,057,431, issued Oct. 9, 1962 to George, discloses a combination ladder and seat that may be used by hunters to climb and perch in a tree. The ladder comprises upper and lower sections which are pivotally affixed together, with each section including a pair of spaced-apart, longitudinal stiles or rails and a plurality of steps extending therebetween. A seat is pivotally mounted adjacent the uppermost end of the upper section. The seat is provided with a fastening system to secure the ladder at an elevated location about the vertically-extending tree trunk.
The conventional ladder construction of the George Patent comprising spaced apart longitudinal stiles with steps extending therebetween is also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,223, issued January 11, 1977, to Bernkrant. Specifically, Bernkrant discloses a ladder with telescopically collapsible side stiles, and hooks adjacent the uppermost end of each stile, whereby the ladder may be secured to a structure by placing the hooks over a generally horizontal structural member such as the railing of a boat. Similar hook portions on a ladder for similar purposes are also disclosed in U.S. Patent Des. 185,212, issued May 19, 1959, to Klages.
Another type of prior art ladder which is distinguishable from the ladder structures of the above-cited patents is a pole type ladder which is characterized by a single longitudinally extending structural member having steps extending laterally to opposite sides thereof. Such pole type ladders are known to be designed as multisection structures suited for easy knockdown or collapse of the ladder into a compact package, and including securing elements which are operative to secure the uppermost end of the ladder with respect to a vertically extending member such as a utility pole or a tree trunk. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,714, issued Dec. 7, 1976 to Brookes, et al, discloses a multisection, knockdown ladder comprising plural sections of elongated tubular construction with steps extending at spaced locations perpendicularly outward of the tubular sections. A securing structure including an arcuate hook member is mounted adjacent the uppermost end of the Brookes ladder and is operable to encompass a pole or tree trunk to secure the uppermost end of the ladder with respect thereto U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,490, issued March 24, 1981, to Bandy discloses a collapsible pole type ladder, a platform mounted to the same adjacent an uppermost end thereof, and a securing structure also being mounted adjacent the uppermost end of the ladder to cooperate with the platform in securing the uppermost end of the ladder with respect to a vertically extending member such as a tree trunk.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,052,439, issued Aug. 25, 1936, to Bailey discloses an extensible fireman's ladder comprising, in part, a pair of upper and lower main posts, the upper post being telescopically engageable within the lower. The upper post is provided with pairs of upwardly folding spring biased steps which are pivotally mounted thereto at suitable intervals and which pivot to a collapsed or clear position in response to telescopic collapsing of the upper pole member into the lower. The Bailey Patent also discloses a pair of retention hook members secured at laterally spaced locations with respect to the uppermost end of the ladder, the hook members being laterally pivotal with respect to the ladder.
In spite of the prior efforts in the art at developing portable ladders, there remains a need for a portable, lightweight, reliable, versatile and convenient climbing system for use by hunters to scale trees in the field. Because a hunter's ladder must be hand carried into the field, it must be durable and lightweight, as well as compact and not of unwieldy construction. By the same token however, to serve with intended purpose it must also offer superior structural qualities as well as convenience, safety and reliability in use.
Portable ladders of more complex structure, and especially those with an undue number of movable or adjustable parts, may prove to be unreliable after long term exposure to the elements in the field. Likewise, many known ladders of sufficient structural strength to serve the purpose are also unduly heavy and cumbersome and not well suited to be hand carried into the field by a hunter.